Includes instances in which children were already attending care or preschool and parents wished for them to attend more, as well as instances in which children did not attend any care or preschool and parents wished for them to attend. Does not include instances in which parents/guardians wish to change service providers but not type or quantity of service.

Approved care

Child care providers that meet the requirements of the Australian Government quality assurance system, such as having a license to operate; qualified and trained staff; and meeting health, safety and other quality standards.

Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED)

The ASCED is a national standard classification which includes all sectors of the Australian education system: that is, schools, vocational education and training, and higher education. From 2001, ASCED replaced a number of classifications used in administrative and statistical systems, including the ABSCQ. The ASCED comprises two classifications: Level of Education and Field of Education. See Australian Standard Classification of Education, 2001 (cat. no. 1272.0).

Before and after school care

Estimates of children's attendance at before and after school care include children who attend only before school care, only after school care, or both.

Child Care Benefit (CCB)

Assistance in the form of a payment made by the Australian Government to help with the costs of child care for families who use approved child care.

Child Care Rebate (CCR)

The Child Care Rebate covers 50 per cent of out-of-pocket child care expenses for approved child care up to the maximum legislated amount per year per child. The Child Care Rebate is available to families who have used approved child care during the year, been eligible for Child Care Benefit and have passed the work, training, study test some time during the week the approved care was provided.

Cost of care

Within this publication, cost of care is reported as the net cost of care to the parents after the CCB and CCR have been deducted.

A couple family is based on two persons who are in a couple relationship and who are usually resident in the same household. To be included in CEaCS, a couple family must also have at least one child aged 0-12 usually resident. A 'couple relationship' includes same-sex couples.

Two or more persons, one of whom is at least 15 years of age, who are related by blood, marriage (registered or de facto), adoption or fostering; and who are usually resident in the same household. Only families with children aged 0-12 years are included in CEaCS.

Family day care

A type of formal care provided in caregivers' homes.

Formal care

Regulated care away from the child's home. The main types of formal care are before and/or after school care, long day care, family day care and occasional care.

Full-time/part-time workers

Full-time workers are employed persons who usually work 35 hours or more a week as well as those who, although they usually work less than 35 hours a week, worked 35 hours or more during the reference week. Part-time workers are employed persons who usually work less than 35 hours a week and who did so during the reference week.

Government establishment

Includes any preschool/kindergarten conducted or managed principally by a state, territory or federal government agency.

Unregulated care either in the child's home or elsewhere. It includes care by (step) brothers or sisters, care by grandparents, care by other relatives (including a non-resident parent) and care by other (unrelated) people such as friends, neighbours, nannies or babysitters. It may be paid or unpaid.

Informal learning

Unstructured learning activities that occur in daily life, such as reading, musical activities and physical activities.

The survey reference week. For interviews conducted between 5 and 11 June 2011, the reference week was 29 May to 4 June. For interviews conducted between 12 and 18 June, the reference week was 5 to 11 June, with the exception of those in Tasmania where the reference week was 29 May to 4 June to avoid Tasmanian school holidays.

Long day care

Regulated care that is provided to children in a dedicated centre.

Mean

The value often referred to as the 'average'. The mean of a variable is calculated by summing the values of all observations in a data set and then dividing by the number of observations in the set.

Median

The value that divides the population into two equal parts.

Non-government establishment

Includes any preschool/kindergarten conducted or managed by a non-government institution or organisation, including a Catholic school or preschool/kindergarten or an independent school or preschool/kindergarten.

Non-resident parent

A child's natural or adoptive parent who is not usually resident in the same household as the child.

A type of formal care provided mainly for families who require short term care for their children.

One parent family

A one parent family is based on a person who has no spouse or partner usually present in the household, but who forms a parent-child relationship with at least one child usually resident in the household. To be included in CEaCS, a one parent family must have at least one child aged 0-12 years usually resident.

Other person care

Informal care by people who are not related to the child including friends, babysitters and nannies.

Other relative care

Informal care by relatives of the child excluding parents, (step) brothers and sisters and grandparents.

Parent/guardian

Natural, step, foster or adoptive parents are considered parents in CEaCS. A guardian is a person who has the designated responsibility for a minor child, whether or not it is a legal or informal arrangement. In this publication, when the term 'parent' is used, this includes guardians.

Preschool

A service that provides educational and development programs for children prior to commencing full-time primary education. These are referred to by different terminology in different parts of Australia, including kindergarten and pre-prep.

Preschool program in a long day care

A program in a long day care centre structured to meet specific early childhood education objectives.

A suite of indexes created from 2006 Census data. For each index, every geographic area in Australia is given a SEIFA number which shows how disadvantaged that area is compared with other areas in Australia. Each index summarises a different set of social and economic variables. For further information about the SEIFAs, see Information Paper: An Introduction to Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas, (SEIFA), 2006(cat. no. 2039.0).

Weekly income of parents

Total gross income received from all sources by the parent or parents in the family.

Work arrangements

Arrangements such as flexible working hours, or working from home, used by employed parents to assist them to care for their children.

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